Review – The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys – National Anthem Collecting issues #1 – 6 from the minds of Gerard Way & Shaun Simon
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Review – Batman: The Scottish Connection. Steeped in Scottish legend, this startling tale – the first Batman tale set in the UK is a 90s classic
Batman The Scottish Connection Review: Bruce Wayne in Scotland Read More »
SUMMARY Opening with a perilous prologue of secrecy and bad dreams in The Connections, the race is on to deliver a mysterious package to the Grand Hall of Justice. What follows is a furious road mission of high importance that could change the laws of Mega City One and offers a shocking history lesson on the origins of immediate justice. ART Kev Walker brings the neo-noir dystopian crime thriller to Dredd with his dark and minimalistic style. While it can be difficult to fully decipher what’s going on at times, that only adds to the mystique and drama of the short story. While Ezquerra’s flare for bombastic scenery and iconic chins is no secret, it’s the beautiful subtlety of his characterisation that serves as a narrative structure all on it’s own; the contrasting usage of polished colouring and rough shading delivering the arc of Dredd as a seasoned and grizzled veteran with a strict regiment for principles and upholding traditional laws. WRITING Despite what the title suggests, that being an essential deep dive into the origins of Judge Dredd, I believe newcomers or casual fans may struggle to keep up with the moving parts of the narrative and multitude of characters throughout. Coming off more like a love letter to existing fans of the titular badass – and an intimately written one at that, those without the experience may be left with more questions than answers to this deep and grizzly story. That being said, the events that take place throughout this collection do an incredible job of bridging the gap between fantastical science-fiction and nail-bitingly realistic non-fiction. Like we’re one quaking domino away from setting off a chain of probable actualities for the future based on this Wagner’s series. OVERALL In conclusion, Essential Judge Dredd: Origins puts you in the gruelling position of a Judge in early training, suddenly thrown into the line of fire unprepared. If you can withstand the direct heat of this bloody and scorched battlefield and brave the cold of this callous and unrelenting tale of immediate judgement, then you’re fit to be a Judge and learn the secrets of how it all came to be in a fascinatingly unique story for the time that still holds up today. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Essential Judge Dredd: Origins as well as your origins with Judge Dredd. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
SUMMARY After a ruthless bombing of a school by a completely normal teacher, Spawn suspects a higher power at work as opposed to the enigmatic human condition. With more carnage to come, he sets out to connect the dots of the homicide. All the while more angels and demons are slithering through the cracks of the locked deadzones, the only question is who has the key? ART With so many links to the chains surrounding Spawn, the artists made sure to keep each story’s style unique apart from their collective brutality. You can’t turn a page without someone exploding or turning into mush! WRITING While not technically a fault of the comic, it feels like entering into the Avengers: Endgame of Spawn without the homework. I can’t tell if the drama and horror is amplified through Lewis’ & McFarlane’s biblical prophecy of an imminent apocalyptic war or my bewilderment while getting thrashed by deep and constant lore. Don’t be fooled by the #1 tag on this comic, this is quite literally the end of the beginning of King Spawn. In an interesting turn for Spawn, Lewis gives the main story a more grounded and gritty approach with a dose of noir tension. Giving this fantastical bloodbath a more realistic and unsettling murder mystery akin to the work of David Fincher. OVERALL In conclusion, King Spawn #1 is a bombastic and righteous addition to the new Spawn collection. With viscerally designed details and artwork crowned with traumatic excitement throughout, all you can say is Long Live The King! If you are a long running die hard Spawn fan, you’ll have no problem in falling in love with this installment. For newer or more casual fans, this may be a head scratcher that requires patience to make sense and in time I’m sure this universe will deliver in spades. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on King Spawn #1 and be sure to check out our review for Spawn’s Universe #1! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
INTRODUCTION: A Scottish Creative Powerhouse Hey folks! Welcome to another BGCP creator interview. We are lucky enough to be chatting today with Gordon Rennie. Gordon Rennie is an incredibly talented writer from Scotland. He has worked in the comic book and videogame industries for the last 30 years. His impressive credits include: You can find multiple other cool titles of his over on Amazon. Let’s dive into the interview! INTERVIEW: The Early Days of a Pro Writer BGCP: Hi Gordon, thank you for speaking with us. Would you mind starting with your background and career? Gordon Rennie: My education? I got a useless arts degree from a Scottish redbrick university in the late 80s. It guaranteed to get me nowhere at the time. I started doing interviews and reviews for the UK comics press. Back then, they paid actual money for that. Most frustrated writers end up doing that. Warren Ellis started out at the same time for the same people. One magazine was Speakeasy. It morphed into Blast comic during the early 90s surge of ‘mature’ comics like Crisis and Revolver. I pitched some comic strip ideas to the editor. He bought just about everything I offered him. That was it. I was a professional comics writer. It seemed much easier in those days. BGCP: You began your career with Sewer Patrol in 1991. How did that first gig come about? What did you learn from it? Gordon Rennie: It was the first thing in print, but not the first professional thing I wrote. By then, I had written the first chapters of White Trash and Sherlock Holmes. Both appeared in the last issue of Blast before Tundra picked them up. Trust me, those were much better stories than Sewer Patrol. That was just a dumb and disposable Future Shock thing. However, Sewer Patrol taught me one notable lesson: I didn’t get paid. The people in charge sent me three post-dated cheques. All of them bounced. I learned early on not to work for spivs. SUCCESS AT 2000 AD: The Birth of Missionary Man BGCP: A few years later, you scored a gig writing for 2000 AD with Missionary Man. How did that happen? Gordon Rennie: Well, it was the Judge Dredd Megazine, not 2000 AD. At that time, I was still blacklisted from 2000 AD. I had written too many mean reviews of it. I sometimes think editor David Bishop hired me mainly to spite his colleagues. I pitched David a few things. He rejected most in his famously blunt style. However, he liked Missionary Man. It was an apocalyptic western set in the Cursed Earth. My main stroke of luck was David giving it to Frank Quitely. It was his first mainstream work. Those first stories aren’t very good, but they keep getting reprinted due to Quitely’s artwork. BGCP: You worked with 2000 AD for many years. How was your experience with them as a company? Gordon Rennie: Great. They pay regularly and on time. After my early experience with bounced cheques, that is the main thing. I get to do fun stories in the comic I grew up reading. We still laugh about the time they told me I’d never work for Tharg. WORKING WITH LEGENDARY IPs: Star Wars and Warhammer BGCP: You have written for many licensed properties. How does that affect your creative control? Gordon Rennie: It depends on the IP and the holder. Some holders just want the license money. They don’t care what you do. Others have very definite ideas on what you can and can’t do. Games Workshop is possessive with Warhammer. However, Lucasfilm is the most ferocious. I worked on a Star Wars game. Lucasfilm looked at everything I was doing. They liked my work, though. They even told the developer to bring me back for extra dialogue work. BGCP: Do you have a favorite IP that you enjoyed working with the most? Gordon Rennie: Judge Dredd, Doctor Who, and Star Wars. They were the holy trinity of my youth. Trust me, you haven’t lived until you see your name scroll up the screen on a Star Wars project with John Williams’ music playing. TRANSITIONING TO VIDEOGAMES: Killzone and Beyond BGCP: You wrote the script for the first Killzone game. What is your background with gaming? Gordon Rennie: I had been playing games since the Sega Mega-Drive days. I knew the tropes well. However, the jump to making them is a big one. It was a real eye-opener to see the complex business of making a game. My favorites are Tomb Raider and GTA. Generally, I like games where you blow stuff up. BGCP: Why did you move into videogames? Gordon Rennie: The Killzone guys came looking for me. They were fans of my Rogue Trooper work. Basically, I got an email asking me to come to Amsterdam for a meeting. The Killzone project finished without me. It was the first game I worked on and the first I was fired from. But it taught me how to make a game. Gaming paid much better than comics. I’ve worked on about 40 games over the last twenty years. I’ve done everything from laying down the basic story to polishing dialogue on Korean RPGs. DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES: The Good, The Okay, and The Ugly BGCP: How does someone land a gig for a Sony exclusive IP? Gordon Rennie: I got my first games work because of my comic experience. These days, dedicated games writers begin directly in the industry. I’m afraid I have no idea how they do that now. BGCP: Does the story change based on the script, or are aspects already established? Gordon Rennie: It varies. In the early days, writers were an afterthought. Designers built the game and then brought in a writer to make sense of it. It was like putting up wallpaper after the house was built. Thankfully, that is rare now. Developers want writers early for world-building and plot ideas. BGCP: You also wrote for
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Review – Kang the Conqueror #1 Writers – Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing Artwork – Carlos Magno & Espen Grundtejern Cover Art – Mike Del Mundo Variant Covers – Todd Nauck, Skottie Young Publisher – Marvel Comics Release Date – 18 August 2021 Intro THE ORIGIN OF KANG! The man called Kang the Conqueror has been a pharaoh, a villain, a warlord of the space ways and even, on rare occasions, a hero. Across all timelines, one fact seemed absolute: Time means nothing to Kang the Conqueror. But the truth is more complex. Kang is caught in an endless cycle of creation and destruction dictated by time and previously unseen by any but the Conqueror himself. A cycle that could finally explain the enigma that is Kang. And a cycle that begins and ends with an old and broken Kang sending his younger self down a dark path… Writing After the finale of LOKI it was only fitting that we had a Kang the Conqueror series. And I was eager to see what Marvel had in store. There have been plenty of storylines over the years with Kang and certainly he is described as one of the Avengers’ ultimate villains. That being said I was curious to see what writer’s Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing would bring to the table. This is a fascinating first issue with a contemplative look at a young Nathaniel Richards in the 31st Century. When he encounters Kang, the older version of himself offers guidance and from the there, things start to unravel. This is certainly a series that I can see Marvel fans thoroughly enjoying. And given the success of LOKI, I’m sure some fans will be desperate to read more about this character. Artwork The artwork is very much of what you would expect from Marvel Comics. And certainly the work of Carlos Magno and Espen Grundtejern captures Kang perfectly. It’s always interesting when you have more than imagining of the same character in a universe and how they are portrayed. And this was done to great effect. As you can imagine the colourings of Green and Purple that we associate with Kang are prominent throughout. And I liked the way that these were utilised for the captions, as a constant reminder of who Nathaniel Richards is destined to become. Overall Kang the Conqueror #1 is a fascinating look back at the early beginnings of Nathaniel Richards in the 31st Century. And given his introduction (in some guise) in the MCU, it’s only fitting that Marvel have released this series. The creative pairing of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing combine to great effect to bring us what is a complex character, with the potential to explore multiple storyline possibilities. This is certainly a book that I can see Marvel fans thoroughly enjoying. And given the success of LOKI, I’m sure some fans will be desperate to read more about the character. If you enjoyed our review of Kang the Conqueror #1 then leave a comment or rating below. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and join our official Facebook Group. Check out our new Podcast and subscribe to the channel on Youtube, Spotify, Apple and Google. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews and News from Glasgow, Scotland, UK and the US, HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com
Review – Defenders #1Storytellers: Al Ewing & Javier RodríguezInks: Álvaro López & Javier RodríguezDesign: Cory Petit & Jay BowenLetters by Joe CaramagnaPublisher – MarvelVariant Covers: Marcos Martín, Rob Liefeld, Ron Lim & Israel Silva, Peach Momoko, Peach Momoko & Dean White , Carlos Pacheco w/ Rafael Fonteriz & Rachelle RosenbergAvailable for purchase now on Amazon SUPERSTARS AL EWING & JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ REUINITE FOR A COSMOS-COLLIDING JOURNEY! When existence itself faces extraordinary threats, it needs an extraordinary defence! That’s when you call… THE DEFENDERS! Doctor Strange and the Masked Raider take a non-team of Marvels weirdest, wildest heroes on a mission that will uncover the hidden architecture of reality itself! This cosmos was not the first to exists… but if the DEFENDERS can’t track Marvel’s oldest villain through the deepest trenches of time – it might be the last. Storytellers: Ál Ewing & Javier Rodriguez Defenders #1 begins with an upside-down, meditating Steven Strange doing his daily tarot reading, only to be knocked back to reality by a gun pointed at his head. After a short-lived scuffle, the Master of Magic finds himself face to face with the Masked Raider who brings with him a warning. Dark magic has been let loose with the power to alter history itself, it must be contained. It is up to our heroes to assemble an unusual cast of Defenders to move through time, chasing and containing the threat before it causes lasting harm to the world as they know it. With the help of his tarot deck, the good Doctor calls Defenders of the past to his side with every card pulled. Enter: the Silver Surfer, Harpy & Cloud. The introductions of the story and characters in shorter runs can be a tricky line to walk. This issue leans heavily into the introduction, choosing to get the exposition out of the way early to allow a greater focus on the threat further down the line. This trade-off can feel sluggish at times, padding most of the pages with information-heavy monologues and an explanatory flashback. This is not to say the book isn’t well written. I do feel like the story was explained rather than taking me along for the ride. Despite this, this issue is a great choice purely based on the art. Inks: Álvaro López & Javier Rodríguez This book is STUNNING! The design of each page deliberately defies the usual formula, carrying the story through intricately detailed panels, spread in interesting layouts that add to the off-kilter nature of Strange’s home. As expected with anything involving the Sorcerer Supreme, every piece is larger than life. The colours are expertly applied, keeping even the most shadowy of panels lit in an enchanting glow. This is the best-looking comic I’ve read in quite some time. Everything is so stylised and eye-catching making even the slower, exposition-heavy pages worth the read. Overall Thoughts…. Defenders #1 is interesting but doesn’t unfold naturally, making some of the dialogue a drag to read. Although, It is a joy it is to look at. The concept isn’t anything we haven’t seen before but sometimes tried and true is a comfort to read.Ultimately, this issue didn’t have me chomping at the bit for more. that aside, I have high hopes for this run and will grab the next issue for the art alone. Let us know if you enjoyed our Review of Defenders #1 if you read the book or rate it yourself. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Look out for this comic at your Local Comic ShopBuy tickets for BGCP Comic-Cons in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETSCheck out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HEREIf you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
Review – Batman ’89 #1. Step back into the Gotham of Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies! Batman ’89 as Harvey Dent plots to take down Batman
Introduction Hey folks and welcome to the first ever written BGCP creator interview. We are lucky enough to be chatting today with Chris Evenhuis. Chris Evenhuis is an incredibly talented artist from the Netherlands. He has worked in the comic book industry since the late 1990s. His credits include: Darkness: Resurrection Wynonna Earp Monstro Mechanica GI Joe And concept art for Overlord 2 As well as multiple other cool titles that you can find over on his socials: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/chris_evenhuis/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.evenhuis Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisEvenhuis?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Interview BGCP: Hi Chris, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Would you mind starting off by telling us a bit about yourself, your educational background and your career? Chris Evenhuis: Hi there, I’m Chris Evenhuis and I’m a comic artist and illustrator based in The Netherlands. My education wasn’t art-related (I started out as an Environmental Scientist), so as an artist I’m self-taught. BGCP: How did you go from studying Environmental Art to becoming a full time illustrator? CE: I’ve been drawing comics ever since I was a kid and had some indie shorts published by age seventeen. However, teachers convinced me to also pursue a ‘real job’, something with better career prospects. So, I ended up graduating as an Environmental Scientist instead. But by that time, the social climate in The Netherlands had shifted and jobs in that field kinda dried up. This meant that I ended up mostly jobless anyway. Thankfully I was able to move on to video games, where I worked as a concept artist for several years. Until I moved on again to Franco/Belgian comics, and eventually US comics as well. BGCP: Who are your main influences when it comes to your art? CE: This one’s difficult to answer because for a large part it depends on what type of project I’m working on. I do tend to see influences from Alphonse Mucha and Steve Dillon in my own work, but I’m not sure others would agree? BGCP: You have a really distinct art style in all of your work. Did you intentionally hone this style or is that how you have always drawn? CE: Thank you so much, that’s one of the nicest things I could hope for as an artist. It’s a combination of gradually developing a style that all at once feels natural, tells a clear story and helps making deadlines. Over the years I’ve found myself mostly looking for things to remove from my rendering, trying to find a style that has the least amount of ‘distraction’. It used to have a lot more details and cross-hatching, things like that. Lately my focus has shifted more to bold lines and shapes, and clear movements and emotions. It’s an ongoing process which I really enjoy. BGCP: Do you have a favourite part of the illustration process? CE: My favourite parts are coming up with ideas and then at the end, finishing them. Everything in between is usually a terrible struggle and oftentimes almost like solving math problems. BGCP: I have always been amazed at how talented comic artists like yourself are able to capture detailed expressions and convey complex emotions in a still frame. How do you go about tackling this? CE: Thank you! This is possibly my favourite aspect of drawing comics. First of all, I’ll ask the writers I work with as many questions as feels appropriate about what their characters are like other than what the scripts says about them. Anything could be helpful: favourite breakfast, pet peeves, weird habits, taste in music, type of friends etc. Everything else I will then make up on my own. So I’ll just imagine how each individual character would move and react to different situations. Sometimes, I’ll physically act out scenes on their behalf to figure out the expressions, gestures, movements across a sequence of panels and such. What I’m hoping to achieve by this is to create characters that – just from the way they look, move and express themselves – reveal parts of their personal stories on top of the one that’s in the script. BGCP: Out of the multiple different comics that you have worked on, which was your favourite? CE: I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with some of my favourite writers in the industry. I’ve gotten the chance to work on some of the most fun books I can imagine. I have loved every single one of them, and also did some of my proudest work in each of them. Especially Wynonna Earp and GI Joe, but overall my favourite is probably still Monstro Mechanica. This is my creator-owned series with G.I. Joe writer Paul Allor and colour artist Sjan Weijers. The series is about Leonardo da Vinci, his female apprentice and their wooden robot bodyguard. There’s something special about getting to create every single thing from the ground up. BGCP: When it comes to working on a licenced comic such as GI Joe, do you have to stick to a certain art style, or is your own unique art style embraced? CE: The art style can be pretty flexible; GI Joe had already seen quite a diverse range of styles throughout its different runs at IDW before I came on board. The most important thing is how well the art and writing style mesh together and I think Paul and I make a pretty great team in that regard. BGCP: Are there any comic book titles that you would like to work on in the future? CE: I’ve always felt Paul and I would do a killer Rocketeer run. Another dream project I can think of would be a licensed comic series based on the 2001 video game ‘Clive Barker’s Undying.’ BGCP: You have also worked as a concept artists on a couple of videogames, how did that come about? CE: I had made a few friends in comics who later started a game developing studio and were looking for artists. Both the comics and games
Review – Elvira Meets Vincent Price #1. Elvira is back, with her most historic AND greatest co-star ever! The ghost of Vincent Price is a spirit with a mission
Elvira Meets Vincent Price #1 Review: A Horror Icon Team-Up Read More »
